Nicotine Use Disorder Essays - Smoking Cessation, Smoking

Nicotine Use Disorder My presentation is on Nicotine Use Disorder. It falls under substance related disorders in the DSM IV and is defined as, The disorders related to the taking of a drug of abuse (Including Alcohol), to the side effects of a medication and to toxin exposure. Let me first start with a brief introduction of smoking (the number one nicotine related killer) and some statistical data retrieved from the US Centers For Disease Control. Tobacco smoking is the number one cause of reversible mortalities in the United States. Tobacco use is related to 400,000 deaths annually in the United States. A person who smokes one pack a day has an average life expectancy 5 years less than a nonsmoker, and for a two pack a day smoker, 7 years less. Smoking is responsible for 30 percent of all cancers in the general population and 90 percent of all lung cancers in men and 79 percent in women. It also triplicates the risk of death from cardiovascular disease. There is also an increased risk of emphysema and bronchitis. However, nicotine dependence applies to all forms of tobacco to include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, snuff, pipes and cigars. It can also include prescription medications such as the nicotine gum and patch. The relative ability to produce dependence depends on the method of administration (smoked, oral or transdermal) and is also dependent on the nicotine content of the product. Contrary to some of the other substance related disorders, not all substance related dependence criteria apply to nicotine. Tolerance is usually observed as having a more intense effect the first time it is used during the day (The Morning Smoke) and the lack of dizziness and nausea after repeated administration. Another sign with individuals who use nicotine is the likeliness to find they use up their supply of nicotine producing drugs faster than they originally intended. Im sure you have all heard the phrase, Can I bum a smoke?. Nicotine dependence is more common among individuals with other mental disorders such as schizophrenia. Depending on the geographical segment of society studied, anywhere from 55 percent to 90 percent of individuals with other mental disorders smoke compared to 30 percent in the general population. Mood, Anxiety, and other related disorders are more prominent in those who are ex-smokers as well. This is a good basis for the theory that withdrawal effects can last well beyond the usual month of physical craving. With all the dangers associated with nicotine abuse, the question that begs to be asked is, Why do people continue to use nicotine?. In an independent study, 80 percent of individuals who use nicotine express a desire to quit and 35 percent make an attempt each year. Of that 35 percent though, only a meager 5 percent are successful in quitting Cold Turkey. One suggestion is that the individual feels he or she would have to give up important social, occupational, or recreational activities and is not willing to do so. Perhaps it masks another possible social disorder? Continued use despite obvious knowledge of medical problems is an important health problem plaguing society today. When an individual with nicotine use disorder attempts to quit, they go through a withdrawal phase that meets the following diagnostic criteria per the DSM IV: A.) Daily use of nicotine for at least several weeks B.) Abrupt cessation of nicotine use, or reduction in the amount of nicotine used, followed within 24 hours by four or more of the following signs: 1.) Dysphoric or depressed mood 2.) Insomnia 3.) Irritability, frustration, or anger 4.) Anxiety 5.) Difficulty Concentrating 6.) Restlessness 7.) Decreased heart rate 8.) Increased appetite or weight gain 9.) Craving C.) The symptoms in Criteria B cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. The symptoms mentioned above are due in a large part due to nicotine deprivation and are typically more intense in people who smoke cigarettes than people who use other products containing nicotine. In most people who quit smoking their heart rates dropped 5 to 10 Beats per Minute in the first few days of quitting smoking and their weight increased 5 lbs on average. The biggest factor in nicotine withdrawal tends to be the craving. This tends to be the most difficult

Career Choice Essay

Career Choice Essay Career Choice Essay As a young boy I often wondered what I would be when i grew up. I changed my mind many times throughout the years but after my mom told me it would happen in due time I didn’t worry about it anymore. I just tried living my life the best that I could with the absence of a father. I grew up in a rough neighborhood full of crime in Los Angeles, California. While living in a place where crime is so prevalent one must have a strong mind and not be easily influenced by others. Being a leader and not a follower is essential, or the streets can consume you. Unfortunately I learned this the hard way and began following the in crowd. At that point in my life I just needed a father figure to get me back on the right track. Being that all of the males in my family were either in prison, dead or in the same boat as me, I really didn't have anyone to go to. Eventually I got in so much trouble that my mom moved my family and I away from the crime and to a better neighborhood. I didnt like the new neighborhood much because there weren't really any kids my age so I just played by myself. One evening, around five or six, I went to the basketball court and began shooting hoops like I normally would. As I was going for my last shot, I felt a tap on my shoulder. The hard tap triggered me to turn around. There, behind me was Penuel. Penuel was an architect in his thirties that lived in Lakewood, California. He told me that I played basketball just like his son did before he died. After he said that he walked away. I got my ball and ran after him and asked him more about his son and what happened to him. We walked and talked for a while and he told me he would walk me home. As we approached my street, he told me that we weren't too far from his house. Once we arrived at my house we discovered that we were next door neighbors. After a while Penuel started treating me like his own. I never really had any men in my life so I was very happy he took me in. The next summer, when I wasn’t in school, he took me to work with him so I could stay away from the trouble in the streets. I learned how to build a house, put in tile, and do a little bit of electricity work that summer. Penuel told me that if I did well in school and I was willing to learn, he would teach me everything he knew about the architectural engineering field. To get a job I would need a degree so I got serious about school and got my act together. After a few years we moved again but this time to Texas and I never saw Penuel again. It was hard not having him around because for two years he was my only role model. Living in Texas was a big change for me but I had to get over that because I was in entering into an important four years of my life, high school. The point of time in life where I had to decide what I wanted to do career wise was approaching. I wasn't very serious about school my freshman and sophomore year. Not having Penuel around really took a toll on me and caused me to re bel. Another two years passed by and it was the summer before my junior year. In two more years I would be an adult and I was no where near ready for the responsibilities of being one. The pressure of figuring out what I wanted to do the rest of my life was really heavy. I didn't know how to do anything but what Penuel taught me so I decided to be an architect. Finally, after 16 years of growing up and changing my mind about what I wanted to do career wise I came to a decision. Thanks to Penuel I figured out how I would succeed in the world. Architectural engineering deals with integrated design, construction, and the operation of buildings and other structures. Most people get architecture and architectural engineering mixed up a lot. Architectural engineers focus on mostly the structural design of the buildings. They also design and mess with heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, plumbing, electricity, and more that has to do with construction. When engineering a building,